Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-12-22
like to kiss that mouth, eh?" asked

answered.
"When' Wherep dare YOU to try!"
rejoined Weldon in a breath.
Yates, who was an tremely hand
some fellow in his saturninc way. look
ed at me with q self cumplacent smirk
that irrtated me, AS if to imply that |
only needed his be !uty to succeed.
"Hrre! >ow!' / answ rcd promptly,
embroidered by Weldon's banter and
Yates GERS.
".'ll bet Won ten dollars you dare not
try said Weldon. 'And I'll double
the wager if he kes,' added Yates.
Done!" / answered "Bo,h wasers
are accepted"
Both men looked at me in astonish-
ment.
Without another word advanced to
the seat o cupied by the beauty and
bending down muttered close to her
ear "Cous-'
AS she turned to see who was bending
over her, kissed her fairly on the rose
bud mouth. Then, stepping back
quickly | took off my hat. and begged
"a thousand pardons, adding hat she
looked so very much like my cou>in-
whom she did somew hat resemble - that
had greeted her perhaps too hastily.
Coming ClOSer-there was no one very
near. although the whole carful seemed
TO stare at us-I suggested in IN under
tone that, if she could only forgive nv
hasty error. and allow me lit beside her
for u no nent,it would diverL attention.
and no one need know that there had
been blunder
With flushed face and half angry and
half mischi,vOus look in her really bril-
ant eyes she nodded assent, and | sat
down.
At this unexpected elimination of my
pertinent venture, Weldon thumpcL
Yates in the stoma with II heavy hand
satchel. and doubled him up like a pat
in front kicked h s comprn on on the
shin so violently thtt he dropped hot
lie of whisky. and smash Il it into frag
ments. After that they both looked at
me reproachfully.
Despite her apparent confusion, this
by play was not lost upon her acute
facult es. as | subsequently learned.
At first she was silent and ev,d me
quite sharply, but after app IRE ItIy sat
isfying herself that was neither II
pr ate or a politician, she gradually,
under my careful and unvar, ing civili-
ty, became more SOCiable.
In form and feature she was a lovely
FEATURE with voice like melody, and
her say ngs all we're bright
Pefore we Iel he'd our common des-
tinatiOn for she told me that >he was
going to the city in which lived |
was so thoroughly bewjtched by her
beauty that from a very poor beg inning
| was making the OF ardent owe to
her, and, to my inellabIc del ght. she, n
a half-shy way was as SOFTLY responsive
as coul expect under the circum-
stances. Alter searching scrutiny of
my features had sat SIZED her. that f
not as beautiful rs she, ! was at lea as
wei born. and not untrust orthy, she
finally, W tn dash Of de:perat on that
had before observed in her minner.
consented that we should be married ~
soon as we reached our DIES mat on. on
condition that | sho Id not ollrr any
more caresses unit after the ceremony
What wouldn't have promised her?
She as to spend the hOl DAYS wi h
relatives. she SAID. That reminded me
that the day WA Christmas eve, and
grew more determined to have her. Al
the Central stat on her host carriage
was to meet her, so we got of TIA IN nor
station on the suburbs. My fir end Wei
don got oil there, too As he came
toward s on the platform. l said:
- eldon, YOU ought to feel hOnored
You are the first mortal that have
ever presented to my atlianced wi c.
Indeed I'm de ighted"' he said, with
ident truth and admiration, as he
bowed low
"Now, want you to help u.s."
added.
Command me, What shall doP'
We'll. we wis to be MARI, d at once.
viii you arrange the de.ails?"
'Certa nly!"
Turning from the door, where had
gone to see if our carriage VS. ready.
saw Weldon close a memorandum
book He had the necessary data and
said he was going to get the cense.
you'll lind us at the r dence OF our
mutual friend Rector said.
''All right" and he wa. gone.
Rev. Mr.. Rector had heen our class
mate and we had all agreed to give
him a job henever we had anything
20 do in his line.
Thither We drove rapidly Looking
a stractedly out of the window, my af-
tianced seemed wrapped in thought
How lovely she lookel! How | longcd
to take her in my arms and kiss her, or
even So eeZe one of the daint little
shapely hands that lay idly on her lap
But herolcally kept my promise
Are you sorry, dear, ventured?"
No. she said promptly. And by
degrees she told me that the very bold
ness OF my approach and the consider
ate contrition affected had aroused all
the romance in her rea II porti nature;
and when her woman intuition had
satisfied her that | could be trusted she
had unreservedlv gwen me her whole
heart What rapture! Words can not
tell how much loved her Bu b of us
We're also impelled by another im ulse
than love, as afterward determined.
impatient at the delay | stepped out
OF MIR. Rector gaze and down to the
corner to see if Weldon vas coming.
As reached the C, rner. | ran face to
face with my father. What should l
do?
why, Clyde, where have you been?'
he asked.
Attending an agricultural fair"
promptly punned with the utmost calm
ness. or the damsel had attende | in
the country was fair Agrico lass. But
dreaded ehat might come next.
g b? Glad TO sec you take an in
terest in such things ven talk of it
TO night when you get home And TO
my infinite relief he hurried on and
hurried back. and was soon welding
ma rimonial fetlers about myself and
one of the iairest women il The world
When the minister, n the ceremony.
distinctly pronounced our namcs-Clyde |
Hylton aud florence Bruce one after
the other, we cou not restrain the i'm.
pulse to eltrce at each others fl g. de- |
spite the solemnity OF the impressive
service OF the Ep scopal r tual. Up to !
that time neither OF us had known the !